March 12, 2017. I received the phone call that my uncle had passed away. On to his last journey. I made the trip back to Montana to support my family as best I could and to say good-bye. It seems that he was not done offering words of wisdom. This was read at his graveside service. These are his words:
When I die, give what is left of me to the wind.
If you need to cry, cry for your brothers walking beside you.
Put your arms around anyone and give them what you need to give me.
I want to leave you with something - something better than words or sounds.
Look for me in the people I have known and loved.
And if you cannot live without me, then let me live on in your eyes, your mind and your acts of kindness.
You can love me most by letting hands touch hands,
And Letting go of children that need to be free.
Love does not die - people do.
So when what is left of me is love - give me away.
- Milton Madsen
Good-bye, Old Man. Thank you for all you taught me. I just hope I can be a good caretaker of this wisdom. See you on the other side.
YOU ARE READING
Lessons from the Road
Non-FictionThree important life lessons taught to me by my uncle.
